Crimes in the Bible - Free Essay Sample

Introduction

In the Bible, man was obligated to do what is right in God’s eyes and nothing else. Respecting God’s commandments to the people was paramount because God is sovereign, and he made man in His likeness (“Crimes and Punishments - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway”, 2020). The Bible is full of people who participated in crimes, from murder to treason. This essay will shed light on two crimes committed in the Bible, elements of the crime, and how they compare to crimes in this era.

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Murder

Murder is the unlawful killing of human beings and always has severe punishment (“Crimes and Punishments - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway”, 2020). In the Bible, murder is forbidden by law and can be punished by death or banishment (“Crimes and Punishments - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway”, 2020). Comparing this crime to murder in modern times, it still holds grave consequences and is still an abomination. Though death punishment is not upheld morally in this contemporary time, life in prison is a punishment suit for murderers. Theft is also a crime in the Bible, and it is condemned in communities. Theft includes dishonesty and stealing another person’s wife in the Bible (“Crimes and Punishments - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway”, 2020).

Though not all the definitions of theft in the Bible are crimes, stealing someone else’s property was a crime in the Bible, and it was punishable. The Bible also shows us, thieves who converted after repentance and were accepted in society, for example, the thief on the cross, “But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40 – Luke 23:41 King James Bible). Theft is still a crime in this modern time, and a person can be sentenced to prison because of stealing. Theft cases have increased due to a growing population, and members of the community have to instill values in their children to curb this problem.

Conclusion

The statement “many crimes are sin, but not all sins are crimes” carries great meaning. God identifies sin compared to a crime that is recognized by the government. Crime is associated with a social concept, while sin is a moral concept (Shahnawaz, 2020). The statement mentioned above is true because some crimes can be regarded as a social and moral concept simultaneously. For instance, murder is a crime and a sin because it portrays immorality, and it is not accepted socially because it makes people feel unsafe. On the other hand, some sins cannot be considered a crime because they are just moral concepts. For instance, coveting someone else’s property is a moral belief that does not disrupt any social rules.

References

Crimes and Punishments - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway. Biblegateway.com. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Crimes-Punishments.

King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

Shahnawaz, M. (2020). difference between Crime and Sin. Academia.edu. Retrieved 9 December 2020, from https://www.academia.edu/12039342/difference_between_Crime_and_Sin#:~:text=Every%20crime%20is%20a%20sin%20but%20every%20sin%20is%20not%20a%20crime.&text=Sin%20is%20defined%20by%20God,sins%20in%20their%20own%20right.